Cabrillo Marine Aquarium facts for kids
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 2004 Addition
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| Date opened | 1935 |
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| Location | San Pedro, California, USA |
| Coordinates | 33°42′41″N 118°17′08″W / 33.711275°N 118.285453°W |
| Memberships | AZA |
The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is a cool place to visit in San Pedro, California. It's an aquarium that teaches you all about the ocean life and processes found in Southern California. You can learn through awesome displays and fun programs.
The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks runs the aquarium. It started in a smaller building. Later, it moved to a much bigger one designed by the famous architect Frank Gehry in 1981. An expansion was added in 2004.
Contents
History of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
How the Aquarium Started
The aquarium first opened in 1935. Back then, it was just a collection of sea creatures kept in the Cabrillo Beach Bathhouse. In 1949, a lifeguard named John Olguin became the director. He made the aquarium very popular.
John Olguin gave tours to school groups. He also started a special evening program. People could come to the beach to watch and learn about grunion fish. These fish have a unique way of mating on the sand at night.
Growth and New Buildings
On October 21, 1981, a brand new museum opened. This building cost $3 million and was designed by Frank Gehry. The old museum then closed its doors.
Through the 1990s, the museum grew a lot. In 1993, its name changed from Cabrillo Marine Museum to Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. This new name showed that it focused on living sea animals.
New Programs and Support
The aquarium added many new programs for the public. These included an Ocean Outreach Education program and a discovery lab. They also started a volunteer program for kids called Sea Rangers.
A non-profit group was created to help the aquarium. It's called the Friends of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. This group helps raise money for the aquarium. In 2004, the aquarium expanded even more. It added an Exploration Center, a research lab for baby sea animals, and a library.
In October 2010, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium celebrated its 75th birthday!
Recent Challenges and Renovations
The COVID-19 pandemic was a tough time for the aquarium. They lost many staff members and visitors. But even while they were closed, they used the time wisely. They renovated many parts of the aquarium to make it even better for when visitors returned.
Architecture of the Aquarium Buildings
Original Gehry Design
The first main building was designed by Frank Gehry & Associates. It was about 23,000 square feet and had one story. This building included indoor and outdoor areas for exhibits. It also had an auditorium, labs, and offices.
The building had a unique look. You could see the pipes and wires that ran the tanks. This showed how the aquarium worked behind the scenes.
Expansion by Barton Phelps
In 2000, the city asked Barton Phelps & Associates to plan for future expansions. A new two-story addition was built. This part is about 21,000 square feet. It holds more labs, offices, and the Moore Research Library.
A cool fiberglass screen is on the front of the expanded building. This screen gives the aquarium a modern and artistic look.
Gallery
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Sea Stars
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Sea birds display
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Red abalone aquaculture
See also
- List of works by Frank Gehry
